Working Families

We support high quality, affordable healthcare for every New Yorker, and oppose cuts in healthcare spending that jeopardize patient care.

The U.S. still has 48 million citizens with no health coverage, and millions more who have coverage but still can’t afford prescriptions, vision or dental care. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t guarantee citizens’ access to basic health care.

It’s an outrage, and the Working Families Party believes we can do better.

Health care costs are rising at 3 times the rate of inflation, making it increasingly hard for families to afford doctor’s visits. Despite leaving millions uninsured, the U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation, and twice as much as Japan and Australia. In fact, almost 1 out of very 7 dollars spent in the U.S. is on health care.

Unfortunately, more than 30 percent of that money gets lost in the bureaucracy and paperwork of private insurance companies. Americans also pay nearly twice as much for prescription drugs as our overseas counterparts, forcing millions to choose between medicines they need and other basic necessities and despite the amount of money we spend on health care, the U.S. lags far behind in leading health indicators, life life expectancy and infant mortality.

At the same time, the failure of the government to step in and control skyrocketing health care costs is also hurting our ability to compete in global economy.

General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner said, “Failing to address the health care crisis would be the worst kind of procrastination - the kind that places our children and our grandchildren at risk and threatens the health and global competitiveness of our nation’s economy.”

The Working Families believes the solution to the healthcare crisis starts with guaranteeing that everyone has access to adequate, affordable healthcare.

The WFP helped found the Health Care for All New York Campaign, promoting ten “standards” for truly comprehensive healthcare reform.